Monday, September 26, 2011

2011 Meet the Misses v.15 - Miss España Mundo 2011

The Kingdom of Spain is located in southwestern Europe in the Iberian Peninsula. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea, the Bay of Biscay, Portugal, Gibraltar, Andorra and France. The Spanish territory includes the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean, the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean, the North African exclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, the Plazas de Soberanía and the town of Llívia which is surrounded by France. Because of its location, Spain was subject to external influences since prehistoric times and through to its dawn as a country. In the early modern period, the voyages of Columbus initiated European exploration and colonization of the American continents, and are thus of great significance in world history. Christopher Columbus was a navigator and an admiral for Castile, a country that along with Aragon later founded modern Spain following the marriage of the Catholic Monarchs and the completion of the Reconquista of the Iberian peninsula in 1492. Spain has been an important source of influence to other regions, chiefly during the modern era, when it became a global empire after that has left a legacy of over 500 million Spanish speakers today, making it the world's second most spoken first language. Spain debuted in Miss World 1960 and reached the Top 3 once in 1961. This year, the exquisite Canarian Carla García Barber will represent Spain in Miss World aiming to become Spain's first winner.

I consider myself a happy, extroverted, responsible, hard working and persevering person. I am very committed, sincere (sometimes too sincere), a little restless but very exacting.

At my 21 years of age, I am very happy with what I am doing: I study medicine to help people that unfortunately suffer an illness, regardless which it is, in the near future. I feel very satisfied that I will be able to help improving people’s lives and making them happier. Professionally, I have been able to enjoy great experiences such as participating in TV programs, photo sessions, radio interviews and magazine covers.

Joining a beauty pageant allowed me to differentiate things are worth fighting for and makes me happy, and those that not. This experience has benefited me greatly, personally and professionally. It helped me to be down-to-earth and realize that inner beauty is the most important quality of people. I have been able to get the chance of helping others thanks to my title and I have been able to meet people from different backgrounds and from all over the world. I have learned a lot from them, good and bad things.

2. Tell us a bit more about your country and hometown.

I am aware that when people hear about Spain they immediately think about sevillanas and toreros. I would like my country to be known for the many other characteristics that makes it unique. One of them is the gastronomy, which has an enormous variety of flavors that conquer everyone’s palates. The innovative modern cuisine from culinary masters such as Ferrán Adriá and Sergi Arola has made us famous worldwide. They have promoted the healthy Mediterranean diet around the world.

Throughout history many civilizations occupied our peninsula leaving a rich cultural legacy. We cannot forget that San Sebastián was named the 2016 European Capital of Culture.

It is important to recognize the varied natural landscapes without forgetting mentioning the warmth and friendliness of Spaniards that captivate at first sight.

About my birthplace, I live in an island located in the Atlantic Ocean closer to Africa than the rest of Spain. However, I carry the colors of my flag with immense pride. Gran Canaria is part of a seven island archipelago, the Canary Islands. Since my childhood I’ve always wake up with the sound of the ocean. It is a feeling that I miss ever since I moved to Madrid. Being able to walk barefoot in the sand, read my favorite book at sunset, or feeling the breeze from the ocean while I drink lemonade anywhere along the coastline are moments that I never forget.

3. What does it mean to you to represent your country at the 61st Miss World finals?

This is a dream that looked unreachable. It is something that requires a lot of responsibility but makes me very proud. Up until today, 50 Spaniards have had the chance of representing Spain at the oldest and most important beauty pageant in the world. Being the 51st is an indescribable feeling. I only hope that after five decades, we can bring the Miss World crown home. I will do my best and will give the very best from myself to achieve this. The Miss World title represents the path that would allow me to bring a bit of peace and happiness everywhere in the world.

4. If you have to choose a song to describe yourself, which would you choose and why?

Without a doubt I would choose I Believe by Yolanda Adams. This song talks about achieving your dreams through hard work, surmounting obstacles and that nothing is impossible even if might feel like it. You establish your limits regardless of what other people say. To believe is to see, and as the lyrics say: “That is what I do, believe”

5. How would you describe a typical day in your life?

A typical day in my life consists in getting up early and going to the hospital. With my lab coat and my stethoscope, I start my practice. Every week, I have to work at a different unit (paediatrics, cardiology, neurosurgery, etc) and in each one of them I realize how happy my future profession makes me.

At mid-morning I go to college, after taking some courses I go to get some lunch with my partners. In the afternoon either I go to class or go to the library. Then I go home waiting the smell of a good dinner made by my mom to then talk with my little sister to find out how was her day. I never forget to talk with my dad about any interesting case he took care as a deontologist.

After dinner, I take a shower and then depending on the day I watch TV or use my computer. After a long day, I go to bed to have a good sleep.

6. Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?

In 2021, I see myself with a white lab robe running around the hallways of a hospital because my name was called through a loudspeaker. Besides practicing medicine, I would like to reach each one of my patients. I would like to think about the past and realize that I’ve enjoyed life to the fullest, with great memories of journeys where I helped people in other countries including a year in the African continent volunteering in projects related with the fight against AIDS and Malaria.

I see myself with someone that I found along the way whom I share every single one of the most important moments in my life. I would like to be with someone that enjoys my company and helps me to start a family.

In definite, I would like to look back and feel fulfilled because I worked hard to reach my dreams and look to the future with the same desire to better oneself.

7. Which well known person from your country you most admire and why?

I admire Vicente Ferrer. This Jesuit always had the desire of helping others. His work as a missionary leads him to India where he dedicated his life to eradicate the suffering of the poorest and neediest people. I believe that someone that is capable of dedicating his or her life to improve lives of other human beings deserves the highest admiration.

8. If you had to choose any other country to live in, which one would you choose and why?

When I was 14, I had the chance of travelling to a small coastal town outside Spain to learn English. During that period, I visited the capital of this country and I was fascinated. I was captivated by the organization, responsibility, order, education, the cleanliness of the streets and most of all the well kept and enormous parks. After this experience, I went back to visit it in many occasions (almost a dozen times). You still captivate me even more at each visit, London.

9. After the Sendai Earthquake, nuclear energy has become a focus of attention. Are you in favor or against the use of this kind of energy as a way to reduce the dependence on oil?

This is a very interesting topic. I learned a lot of it thanks to an ex-boyfriend who is licensed in Industrial Engineering with whom I still have a great friendship. I am in favor of using nuclear power because with it we can obtain a higher performance as compared to other kinds of energy. We need large quantities of energy to supply great metropolitan areas, without nuclear energy it would be practically impossible. Combustion of coal and oil is obsolete; the last one is a resource rich in carbon and hydrogen from where we can obtain by-products for the textile industry and even for the food industry but unfortunately we just burn it. Through uranium fission we can obtain the high efficiency of nuclear power. Fission is an exothermic reaction that heats water. Boiling water generates vapor and the vapor moves a series of turbines that generate energy. This vapor is released through the nuclear plant chimneys. Vapor is H2O, and H2O does not contaminate the atmosphere. The fission residuals are not released to the atmosphere; they are kept and controlled inside the plant. With coal and oil energy, the combustion contaminants are released to the atmosphere.

I am aware that as a result of the latest happenings, nuclear power has experienced some rejection. The Chernobyl disaster was caused by human error, something that nowadays would be impossible because safety measures are stricter. In the Japan case, this happened after a result of several earthquakes, with one of them reaching a 9.0 in the Richter scale. This was a disaster without a precedent. Engineers cannot do much when there are no precedents to reference during the design process.

10. What do you think is the worst kind of human injustice or prejudice happening now?

I will try to answer with one phrase: “the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer”

This affirmation is applicable on every part of the planet. I find it saddening that in the 21st century we are witnessing a famine crisis affecting the Horn of Africa where thousands lack proper alimentation leading to an inhumane life or even death. This injustice is even more severe because children are suffering the most during this crisis while the rest of the world does not care enough.

11. What are your duties as Miss España Mundo 2011?

I have always intent to communicate others the importance of helping others, I have always believed in the beauty with a purpose motto. Being a public figure helps you to reach others easily since human beings are influenced, without even realizing it, by mass media. The impact from the information these outlets transmit is very relevant to society. Through a newspaper, a magazine or a TV channel I can inform others about my work as Miss Spain World which consists in collaborating in the care of incapacitated children, elderly or ills, recollect food for people without sufficient resources and encourage youth about the importance of values.

12. What role can social media (ex. Facebook, Twitter, etc) play in the life of a beauty pageant titleholder?

Social media is a tool that allows the world to know you and your ideas. They allow you to share a message to every corner of the world with just a click. This is definitely a groundbreaking progress in social interaction.

13. What does it mean to be a human being?

Just as the word implies, I believe the most important thing is being humane. Being capable of knowing what is right and wrong, helping others selflessly, respect others and love life above everything else. This is what makes us unique among all living things.

14. What do you feel is your purpose in life?

Every morning I wake up with a specific motivation, change things for the better. Every human being wants peace, wants to end all wars and wants famine to disappear. I think that to achieve this, we should try to improve the situations around each of us. In my situation, I would like to be capable of helping the ill, not only as a physician that is capable of curing but as a person that wants to ease the pain and console those that need it. Going to bed with the satisfaction that I have made someone happier is the best feeling of all.

15. Share a message to your supporters and readers of The Times of Beauty.

Hello everyone!

I would like to thank your unconditional support and tell you that I hope to not let you down. I will continue working hard to arrive to the pageant with the best preparation. Over there I will try to improve and work each day so the judges and the rest of the world can see that I am grateful for the opportunity I’ve been given. Winning the pageant would be for me not only a huge honor but a real privilege to win the world’s oldest beauty pageant. I would like to be remembered not only for being the first Spaniard to win the title of Miss World, but for all that I would be capable of giving to others and how willing I am to try to make things better.

I think of all of you with a big smile. I send you all hugs and kisses and I hope you enjoyed this interview as much as I did,

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